992.2 Base vs S
 

I am deciding between a base and an S. I found some older threads comparing these two but they were mostly for the 992.1.

-I am planning to daily drive this on 45-55 mph roads and on highways on the weekends, about 8-10k miles per year
-I don't intend to track it
-I plan to keep it forever or maybe sell it in 8-10 years.
-I specd both vehicles exactly the same and the S is 15k more (172k vs 187k).

I have the money to purchase the S but would I notice a difference based on my current driving situation? Is the extra 15k on the S worth it for improved depreciation IF I sell it in 8-10 years (i put 8-10k miles per year on my car)?

I appreciate any thoughts.

You’d notice the difference but whether you’d value the difference depends on you - some people really enjoy/crave power and others less so.

what kind of car are you coming from and how did you feel about it?

If you look at 991.2 base vs S values of PDK cars, there's a $14k gap.
If you look at 997.2 base vs S values of PDK cars, there's a $8k gap.
Data above according to classic.com.
Based on your user case, you don't need the S at all but if you choose the S, whatever you lose vs the base will be marginal.
I'd buy whichever pulls at your heartstrings.

Heck ya get the S. More power, LSD, bigger brakes ( looks better) , better suspension. Worth the 15k. S is the sweet spot IMO

If it's not a stretch financially (if I'm reading your post correctly, it's not), get the S. You'll never feel like you might've missed out on something (coulda/woulda/shoulda) and therefore probably have a higher level of enjoyment and pride of ownership versus buying the base (which there's certainly nothing wrong with).

I am coming from a 2024 M4 Competition (no AWD), and I find it has way more than enough power than what I need.

Go for the S for sure. Big power difference, better brakes, etc. You won't regret spending the extra $$ and you'll get it all back at resale anyway.

If you go for a base you will be able to buy one off the lot if you don’t want to order, and maybe a little off MSRP. One of the dealers I use has a base coupe and cab that they have had for a month or so. In the past they rarely had any new 911’s in the showroom for any amount of time.

S is worth it just for the brakes. Take it from a 992.1 S owner currently working to upgrade their brakes. The .2 getting the 408mm front brakes is so nice.

About a +85 hp power difference (388 versus 473). I would go with the 992.2 S. I have a 997.1 Base with 335 hp, and the 355 hp S (+20 hp gain) was small and only sometimes noticeable, in comparison to the current generation, due to the 9A2 Evo turbo design's flexibility.

S for sure.

If you don’t plan to track your car, the base is plenty powerful. Spec the Sports Chrono option for the additional Sports Plus and you’ll have plenty of fun for your driving style. Just remember, today’s base model was the previous S model from a few years ago and close to the Turbo model back in 996 days. There’s always more power to chase, though I’m not a believer that equates to greater enjoyment. “Driving slower cars fast” and all that….

I’d definitely do the S for the brakes. Stopping power can be as exhilarating (and confidence inspiring) as the added power, which is appreciated but not always utilized.

For your longterm hold plans, the $15k delta upfront is peanuts for the benefits of the S - and perhaps future value retention.

2024 M4 Competition: 0-60 time = 3.8 seconds
911 Carrera w/Sport Chrono Package: 0-60 time = 3.7 seconds
911 Carrera S w/Sport Chrono Package: 0-60 time = 3.1 seconds


Comments:
— The base Carrera will have similar acceleration to your current car (better handling); the S acceleration will be a noticeable upgrade in performance
— You may add even more options to your current build, which would bring the price difference between the base and S even closer.
— If you really hold on to the 911 for 10 years, the resale value between the base and S would probably only be a few thousand dollars, especially if the car had 100,000 miles. At the Wholesale/Trade-in level, the drivers of resale value are Model, Model Year, and Mileage.

I would probably go for the S, especially if you really do plan to keep the car for at least 8 years.

Having said the above, YOU might be perfectly happy with the Base 911. I owned one and it was a great car.
However, you might fall into the 911 upgrade trap where you keep buying higher end models as the years go by.
‘What you don’t want to do is buy a Base 911, then sell it and upgrade to the S 1-2 years later. It costs a lot of money to churn cars — i.e. buy one, trade it in every two years, then repeat.

visually yes the bigger brakes look better, track performance wise maybe but for someone not tracking they’d never notice a difference.

base actually has slightly shorter to equivalent stopping distances for a single stop from speed

feel like a common misconception is that big brakes are better which they can be for certain situations namely track but for driving around town, no real difference. Same concept with CCB for the most part minus the weight savings.

though they def look better